Mixing it up

Do You Need a Planetary Mixer or a Spiral Mixer?

Depending on the ingredients you mix, there’s a lot of difference.

When deciding between the two types of mixers, think about the foods you plan to make most often and whether you require the versatility of a planetary mixer or the more focused option of a spiral mixer.    

Planetary mixers

Planetary mixers have a single motor and a stationary bowl. They are available in both benchtop versions as well as larger floor-standing models and are among the most popular mixers for commercial kitchens. As the name implies, planetary mixers feature an agitator that moves around the bowl like a planet. Planetary mixers are very versatile and as they are generally supplied with 3 attachments, a whisk, a paddle and a dough hook they are great for mixing a variety of products like:

Bread doughs
Cakes
Cookie dough
Whipped toppings
Icings
Meringues
Saugages and Meatballs
Sauces

Planetary Mixers

Spiral Mixers

Spiral mixers are specialist tools for mixing dough. A spiral-shaped agitator counter-rotates while the powered bowl spins in the opposite direction. This method enables spiral mixers to mix the same size dough batch much quicker and with less under-mixed dough than a similarly powered planetary mixer.

Spiral mixers can mix dough with less agitator friction than planetary mixers.

Spiral mixers are used for:

Artisan breads
Bagels
Pizza dough

Spiral Mixers